Caesar Salad With Tofu Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• To make the Tofu Croutons, preheat the oven to 450°. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place them in a single layer in an oiled baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the oil, soy sauce, sage, fennel, red pepper, and garlic. Pour this marinade over the tofu and stir well. Bake until the edges of the tofu are crisp and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 25 minutes. Stir the tofu once or twice during baking.
• Meanwhile, rinse and dry the lettuce leaves. Slice or tear them into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Prepare the Caesar Dressing.
• Just before serving, toss the lettuce with some of the dressing. Pass the Tofu Croutons, grated cheese, and more dressing at the table.
• Serving & menu ideas
• Serve with a crusty baguette and sweet butter. On a night when a soup and salad supper would hit the spot, heat up some Creamy Onion Soup with Sherry (page 132).

Steps:

• In a food processor, pure the garlic, anchovies, olives and mustard. Add the tofu and lemon juice. With machine running, drizzle in the olive oil and season.
• Toss with dressing and serve on chilled oval plates. Garnish with cracked black pepper and optional pizza flavored goldfish.
• Beverage: Iced black tea

Steps:

• Combine garlic and oil in a small saucepan. Simmer until cloves are a light gold color, about 15 minutes. Pour oil through a fine sieve, squeeze all juice from cloves, and then discard the solids. Set garlic oil aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake, turning bread cubes periodically, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• In a large, non-stick skillet, melt 1/3 cup ghee with 1/3 cup garlic oil over medium heat. Cook toasted bread cubes in batches until light to medium golden brown, turning frequently. Add more ghee and garlic oil as needed. Turn out into basket lined with paper towels, and drain for about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Whisk together oil, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper in a liquid measure. Pour mixture over the bread and toss with your hands until evenly coated. Spread bread mixture into a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and toasted, yet slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes, tossing croutons a few times during baking. Remove from the oven and let cool completely while you prepare the salad.
• Place garlic, anchovies, and salt in a large salad serving bowl; press the mixture with a fork until a paste forms. Stir in egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. Slowly whisk in olive oil until all is incorporated and mixture is well blended and smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove about 1/4 cup of dressing and set aside for another use.
• When ready to serve, add lettuce and 1/2 of the croutons to the bowl with the remaining dressing; toss until well coated. Reserve remaining croutons for another use.
• Sprinkle salad with additional Parmesan and pepper if desired. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Make the tofu croutons. Remove the block of tofu from its packaging and drain the water. Press the tofu by laying a half dozen or so paper towels on a dinner plate and placing the tofu on top. Add a couple more paper towels and top with 4 or 5 more dinner plates. Let sit for 20-30 minutes, checking occasionally to move the plates if they're off balance. Or, much easier, use a tofu press!
• Set the tofu on a cutting board and cut it into crouton-size pieces, about 3/4-inch big.
• Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. On a large plate or in a shallow baking dish, combine the corn starch, garlic powder, and salt with a fork. Working in batches, dredge the tofu in the corn starch mixture, turning to coat evenly. Carefully add tofu to hot oil in skillet. Cook on medium-high for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally to brown most sides. Remove tofu from pan and place on several paper towels, blotting to remove excess oil.
• Make the dressing. To a food processor or high-power blender, add the olives, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, vinegar, Worchestershire sauce, and pepper. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds. Drizzle in the olive oil and blend until smooth and creamy, about 15-20 seconds more.
• Prepare the salad. Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss well to coat all of the leaves. Top with the tofu croutons and a few shavings of Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve with additional lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.